Kriegsmarine Coastal artillery EM's shoulder straps
Post May 1940 production, we would say mid war, 1941-1943. The earlier versions had darker cloth.
Field grey wool cloth construction, pointed tip, slip on shoulder strap with a yellow machine embroidered winged artillery shell superimposed on a vertical anchor.
Excellent condition. No damages. A matching pair.
A quite hard to find set!
HISTORY:
With the formation of the Imperial Prussian Navy in 1848 Senior NCO’s and Officer ranks adopted a series of rank identifying shoulder insignia for the traditional blue and white uniforms. With the later introduction of the brown tropical uniform and field-grey uniforms for land based personnel the wear of shoulder rank insignia was utilized by all ranks, but only on these specific uniforms. Kriegsmarine field-grey uniforms were first introduced in 1935 for issue to land based personnel and the design of the uniform was based on the army pattern with minor variations. The insignia worn on the field-grey uniforms was the standard Kriegsmarine type and included the distinctive rank and career shoulder boards and straps. Originally the shoulder straps for EM/NCO coastal artillery personnel were manufactured in blue/green badge cloth until regulations in May 1940 altered their construction to field-grey wool. Enlisted ranks shoulder straps indicated the ranks of Matrose, Matrosengefreiter, Matrosenobergefreiter, Matrosenhauptgefreiter and Matrosenstabsgefreiter inclusively with the specific rank determined by the wear of the appropriate rank chevron on the upper left sleeve while specific NCO’s ranks were distinguished by the addition of gilt tress and rank pips on their shoulder straps
